Some cuts of meat just make you feel like a caveman.

Beef plate ribs are one of them. Three bones. Each one the size of your forearm. A whole mountain of beef with a fat cap that renders down into pure gold and a bark that eats like brisket.

They call them dino ribs for a reason.

I ran two racks on the Traeger, and I’m going to walk you through the whole cook — the rub, the spritz, the tallow wrap, all of it.

Why Dino Ribs

Plate ribs come from the short plate, down on the belly side of the cow. They’re fattier and richer than back ribs, which means more flavor and more forgiveness. If brisket intimidates you, dino ribs are the perfect training ground — same low-and-slow principles, same bark-building, same probe-tender finish, but on a smaller and friendlier scale.

Plus, let’s be honest: nothing gets a reaction at a cookout like setting down a full rack of dinosaur bones.

What You’ll Need

  • Beef plate short ribs — 2 racks (3 bones each)
  • Olive oil
  • Heath Riles BBQ & Grilling Authentic Sweet BBQ Rub
  • Beef tallow
  • Pink butcher paper
  • Apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle

📖 This Recipe Is in the Cookbook

The full Dino Ribs recipe — ingredients, steps, and full-page photo — lives in Daddio on the Patio: 50 Easy Backyard BBQ & Blackstone Recipes. Now available on Amazon →

View the Recipe →

How to Smoke Dino Ribs on the Traeger

1. Fire Up the Smoker

Fill the hopper and set the Traeger to 250°F. Give it time to settle in. You want steady, thin smoke — not a rolling white cloud.

2. Trim and Season

Trim off any hard fat and silver skin, pat the ribs dry, and slather a thin coat of olive oil over all sides. Then hit them generously with Heath Riles Authentic Sweet BBQ Rub. These are big cuts — they can take a heavy coat. Let them sweat for 15–20 minutes while the smoker comes up to temp.

3. On the Grates

Slide your MeatStick V Duo into the thickest part of the meat, staying off the bone, and set the ribs bone-side down directly on the grates. Now we wait.

4. Spritz the Bark

About 3 hours in, once the bark starts to set, start spritzing with apple cider vinegar every 45–60 minutes. You’re not soaking them — just keeping the surface from drying out so the bark builds instead of burning.

5. The Tallow Wrap

When the bark is a deep mahogany and the internal temp is around 165°F, lay out a big sheet of pink butcher paper, spread a layer of beef tallow where the ribs will sit, and wrap them up tight. The tallow bastes the meat as it finishes — it’s the difference between good ribs and ribs people talk about for weeks.

6. Probe Tender

Back on the smoker at 250°F until the probe slides in like butter — usually around 200–203°F internal. Plan on 5–6 hours total. Then rest the wrapped ribs for at least 30–60 minutes. Don’t skip the rest.

Slice and Serve

Unwrap, slice right between the bones, and watch the juices run. Each bone is basically its own serving — rich, beefy, with that sweet rub crust on the outside and rendered, silky meat inside.

Serve them as-is. They don’t need sauce. They barely need a plate.

🔥 Give This One a Try

Next time you see plate ribs at the butcher, grab them. Fire up the Traeger, give yourself a lazy afternoon, and cook like a caveman.

Fire. Flavor. Family.

That’s the Daddio way.